A Long Wait
by Gallifrey Immigrant
Summary: The TARDIS gets misplaced, and the Doctor and Bill have to wait for it to come back.


The blue ship twisted and turned in the air. It was moving further and further away, and with it, any thought of escaping from this planet. Weirdly, the dematerializing ship made colorful patterns in the stormy sky as it passed, like a rainbow. Bill didn't know why, though she was sure the Doctor could explain it if she asked

The Doctor's eyes burned with annoyance. His slender frame was framed by the color of the rainbow pattern, and he stuffed his hands in his pockets. Turning around, he walked down the beach. Bill watched the mixture of red and blue some more, then followed him.

"So, where did our TARDIS go?" Bill asked. She had to run to keep up with the alien.

"Oh, probably somewhere in another dimension. The ricochet from that exploding vortex will have sent it far. Don't worry. She'll return soon," said the Doctor.

"How soon?" asked Bill. She didn't like the idea of staying in an unfamiliar location for too long.

The Doctor shrugged.

It happened that they were in ancient Greece. To Bill, that was awesome. The Doctor quickly got them into a temporary home with some sweet-talking and promise of payment. Bill didn't quite know how he planned on paying.

The buildings weren't actually as white as Bill would have expected. The Doctor explained that back then, the paint hadn't eroded over time, so the buildings shone brightly. Her skin made her stand out, but most people responded with curiosity rather than fear. She just said she emigrated from Africa.

The Doctor said he had been here before. His very first trip was with someone called Susan, who Bill suspected was a close friend of his. He mixed in easily in the city streets of Athens, rarely given a second glance. Slight jealousy came to Bill when she saw his ease.

Still, she enjoyed the visit. It wouldn't be long, anyhow.

Day 24:

The Athenians eyed the newcomers with some trepidation. The Doctor wore very odd clothing, and his accent was unfamiliar. The man talked with perfect language, yet his way was that of a foreigner. And, to Arial, there was something deeper in his eyes. He carried a sense of other worldliness within him, as if he could take off at any time. He was rather good with a lyre, however.

His companion Bill, on the other hand, wasn't really good at anything in particular. Bill talked even stranger than the Doctor, and had a wide-eyed stare typical of new visitors. Her enthusiasm was admittedly infectious, if sometimes wearing.

Both Bill and the Doctor seemed to be waiting for something. Aria had enquired about it to the Doctor, who simply mumbled a statement about "waiting for employment." As she had never seen him make any gesture of getting a trade, she suspected this was a lie. Certainly she had never been paid for housing the two, though her family was instructed not to expect any.

One day, she asked Bill. The woman looked nervous, clearly trying to find a way out of the question. Aria would have none of it.

"Well, we're sort of stuck here. Our ride just left us, and I don't know when it will come back. And I don't think the Doctor knows either. But it has to come back, right?" asked Bill. Aria knew Bill was asking herself more than Aria.

Bill made no more mention of this for several days. Then, Aria noticed the Doctor run outside. His face looked very concerned, like he had seen a ghost.

Outside, there was a woman wearing a gold tunic. Her hair was black, and her eyes were a deep dark green. The wind seemed attracted to her, and I felt myself bedazzled by her.

"Yes, what do you want?" said the Doctor.

"Why are you here, Time Lord?" said the woman. Her voice sounded like honey.

The Doctor appeared unimpressed with her appearance.

"My ship is lost in the vortex. My companion and I are just biding our time. Didn't mean to step on your holy turf," said the Doctor, his voice filled with mock respect.

"Be careful, Time Lord. I could turn you into a toad, you know," said the woman, but still smiling.

Bill ran out. She opened her mouth to speak, but gasped at the woman's appearance.

"Wow. She's cute," said Bill.

The Doctor glared at Bill, who promptly blushed.

The Doctor told the woman "I will be gone as soon as my ship returns."

The woman nodded her understanding. A flash of light appeared, and she was gone.

"Who was that?" asked Bill.

"Some stuffy immortal. She was just making sure I didn't stay in their territory too long," said the Doctor.

"Wait. Was she a Greek goddess? Like a real goddess?" asked Bill.

"Bill, I'm ashamed of you for even asking," said the Doctor.

"But, she was, wasn't she?" said Bill.

"For this universe, perhaps," said the Doctor cryptically. He returned to his room in the back of my home, only pausing to give me a short nod.

Day 34:

Bill was pissed at being here so long. How soon would it take a TARDIS to arrive?

The Doctor stood outside often. He had busied himself with writing in his journal. That activity seemed to keep his mind off this rather long stay. Bill enjoyed having Aria show her around, but there was a limit.

"Are you sure the TARDIS will return?" asked Bill.

The Doctor looked up from his journal. His hawkish face focused on hers, and he uncrossed his legs. His face, hidden in shadow from early light, looked like one of a wise man. Maybe the fact that she was in Ancient Greece was getting to her.

"I know the ship won't leave us without an effort to return. It's linked to me, and to you as well," said the Doctor.

"To me?" asked Bill.

"Yes. She likes you. I don't think you'd be allowed to stay on board longterm if she didn't," said the Doctor.

Day 44:

Ten days later, a large splash of color, like a rainbow, covered the sky. Aria woke up to see the Doctor and Bill had left already. In their room, was money, and a goodbye letter written in Bill's handwriting.

A wheezing, groaning sound filled the air for a moment.


End file.
